Agent Orange - Vietnam War - HISTORY.com Agent Orange A+E Networks Introduction Agent Orange was a powerful mixture of chemical defoliants used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, as well as crops that might be used to feed them. The U.S. program of defoliation, codenamed Operation Ranch Hand, sprayed more than 19 million gallons of herbicides over 4.5 million acres of land in Vietnam from 1961 to 1972. Agent Orange, which contained the chemical dioxin, was the most commonly used of the herbicide mixtures, and the most effective. It was later revealed to cause serious health issues–including tumors, birth defects, rashes, psychological symptoms and cancer–among returning U.S. servicemen and their families as well as among the Vietnamese population. Google Operation Ranch Hand and Agent Orange From 1961 to 1972, the U.S. military conducted a large-scale defoliation program aimed at destroying the forest and jungle cover used by enemy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops fighting against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces in the Vietnam War . U.S.

aircraft were deployed to spray powerful mixtures of herbicides around roads, rivers, canals and military bases, as well as on crops that might be used to supply enemy troops. During this process, crops and water sources used by the non-combatant peasant population of South Vietnam could also be hit. In all, Operation Ranch Hand deployed more than 19 million gallons of herbicides over 4.5 million acres of land. Did You Know? The controversy over Agent Orange and its effects has persisted for more than four decades. As late as June 2011, debate continued over whether so-called "Blue Water Navy" veterans (those who served aboard deep-sea vessels during the Vietnam War) should receive the same Agent Orange-related benefits as other veterans who served on the ground or on inland waterways. The most commonly used, and most effective, mixture of herbicides used was Agent Orange, named for the orange stripe painted on the 55-gallon drums in which the mixture was stored. It was one of several “Rainbow Herbicides” used, along with Agents White, Purple, Pink, Green and Blue. U.S.

planes sprayed some 11 million to 13 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam between January 1965 and April 1970. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Agent Orange contained “minute traces” of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), more commonly known as dioxin. Through studies done on laboratory animals, dioxin has been shown to be highly toxic even in minute doses; human exposure to the chemical could be associated with serious health issues such as muscular dysfunction, inflammation, birth defects, nervous system disorders and even the development of various cancers. Agent Orange: Veteran Health Issues and Legal Battle Questions regarding Agent Orange arose in the United States after an increasing number of returning Vietnam veterans and their families began to report a range of afflictions, including rashes and other skin irritations, miscarriages, psychological symptoms, Type-2 diabetes, birth defects in children and cancers such as Hodgkin’s disease, prostate cancer and leukemia. In 1979, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of 2.4 million veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during their service in Vietnam.

Five years later, in an out-of-court-settlement, seven large chemical companies that manufactured the herbicide agreed to pay $180 million in compensation to the veterans or their next of kin. Various challenges to the settlement followed, including lawsuits filed by some 300 veterans, before the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed it in 1988. By that time, the settlement had risen to some $240 million including interest. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Agent Orange Act, which mandated that some diseases associated with defoliants (including non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, soft tissue sarcomas and chloracne) be treated as the result of wartime service and helped codify the VA’s response to veterans with conditions related to their exposure to Agent Orange. Effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam In addition to the massive environmental impact of the U.S. defoliation program in Vietnam, that nation has reported that some 400,000 people were killed or maimed as a result of exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange.

In addition, Vietnam claims half a million children have been born with serious birth defects, while as many 2 million people are suffering from cancer or other illness caused by Agent Orange. In 2004, a group of Vietnamese citizens filed a class-action lawsuit against more than 30 chemical companies, including the same ones that settled with the U.S. veterans in 1984. The suit, which sought billions of dollars worth of damages, claimed that Agent Orange and its poisonous effects left a legacy of health problems and that its use constituted a violation of international law. In March 2005, a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York , dismissed the suit; another U.S. court rejected a final appeal in 2008. Tags Agent Orange: Background on Monsanto's Involvement Home / Newsroom / Viewpoints / Monsanto Company / Agent Orange: Background on Monsanto's Involvement Agent Orange: Background on Monsanto's Involvement From 1965 to 1969, the former Monsanto Company manufactured Agent Orange for the U.S. military as a wartime government contractor.

The current Monsanto Company has maintained responsibility for this product since we were spun-off as a separate, independent agricultural company in 2002. More than 40 years ago, Agent Orange was one of 15 herbicides used by the U.S. military as a defoliant in the Vietnam War to protect and save the lives of U.S. and allied soldiers. It was a unique mixture of two common herbicides (2,4-D and 2,4,5-T ) that had been used separately in the United States since the late 1940s. The government named the mixture “Agent Orange” because of the orange band that was painted on containers of the material. From 1965 to 1969, the former Monsanto Company was one of nine wartime government contractors who manufactured Agent Orange. The government set the specifications for making Agent Orange and determined when, where and how it was used. Agent Orange was only produced for, and used by, the government. Ongoing Research and Services The use of Agent Orange as a military herbicide in Vietnam continues to be an emotional subject for many people.

Asian Affairs Specialist Michael Martin notes , “[a]t the time the herbicides were used, there was little consideration within the U.S. military about potential long-term environmental and health effects of the widespread use of Agent Orange in Vietnam.” As a result, the governments that were involved most often take responsibility for resolving any consequences of the Vietnam War, including any relating to the use of Agent Orange. U.S. courts have determined that wartime contractors (such as the former Monsanto) who produced Agent Orange for the government are not responsible for damage claims associated with the chemistry. Research on Agent Orange has been conducted for decades and continues today. While a causal connection linking Agent Orange to chronic disease in humans has not been established, some governments have made the decision to provide certain medical benefits to veterans and their families even though there has not been a determination that an individual’s health problem was caused by Agent Orange. In addition, governments and non-governmental humanitarian organizations have increased funding of environmental and healthcare services to help address potential problems that may exist in Vietnam from the use of Agent Orange. Did You Know? Agent Orange was a 50-50 mix of two common herbicides, 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T.

The former Monsanto Company was one of nine wartime government contractors who made military herbicides. Since the Vietnam War, both scientific and public concern has arisen over the dioxin compound 2,3,7,8-TCDD, a byproduct found in trace amounts from the manufacturing process used to produce 2,4,5-T. Research on Agent Orange has been conducted for decades and continues today. Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside Vietnam - Public Health Public Health Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside Vietnam Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam were tested or stored elsewhere, including some military bases in the United States. The Department of Defense gave VA a list of dates and locations of herbicide tests and storage. View dates and locations: View all as PDF: Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside of Vietnam (Department of Defense List) (224 KB, PDF) VA benefits Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including an Agent Orange Registry health exam , health care, and disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Their dependents and survivors also may be eligible for benefits. Learn more about benefits related to Agent Orange exposure . Need help determining exposure?

VA will help determine exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service after you file a claim for compensation benefits . Veterans may be eligible for a free Agent Orange Registry health exam . You don't have to file a disability compensation claim to receive the exam. Contact your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator about getting an Agent Orange Registry health exam. Vietnam Agent Orange Campaign | Home Agent Orange and Agent Purple CBC News Online | Updated Aug. 11, 2006 In the palette of deadly poisons, one of the most famous is Agent Orange, a defoliant best known for its use during the war in Vietnam. Others are known by the names Green, Blue and Pink. Far from Southeast Asia, dense forest was also a problem at CFB Gagetown. Military commanders said they needed to clear the brush in order to conduct training exercises. So the military struck an agreement with the Americans to test the defoliants. Ottawa has acknowledged that Agent Orange defoliant was used in the 1960s to clear training areas at CFB Gagetown, but the government has only acknowledged the harm caused by Agent Orange when it was sprayed on Gagetown in 1966 and 1967.

CBC News learned Agent Orange wasn't the only herbicide sprayed at the base. There was also Agent Purple, lesser known, but more toxic. Wayne Cardinal In 2005, Wayne Cardinal took 14 different medications every day for his heart and respiratory ailments. The 61-year-old retired soldier was wondering if he and his fellow soldiers were sick from Agent Orange. "I can remember guys coming in with ears all blistered up and being sent to the MIR and told, 'There's nothing wrong with you, quiet about this, this is just probably a reaction to the chemical. It won't harm you.' And many guys can relate stories like that," Cardinal says. Experts like cancer and leukemia specialist Richard van de Jagt of the University of Ottawa have long made a connection between Agent Orange and many health problems. Richard van de Jagt "Cancers including leukemia, prostate cancer, lung cancer, et cetera, and then we also know it to have endocrine effects and causing blindness, cataract formation," van de Jagt says. Extensive spraying CBC News learned that the spraying at CFB Gagetown was more extensive than previously thought.

Documents obtained by CBC News show that in the summer of 1966 the military used Agent Purple. Agent Purple had more than three times the level of lethal dioxin as Agent Orange. It was also laced with arsenic. It was so bad that the Americans stopped using it in Vietnam the year before. The CBC investigation showed that planes sprayed other herbicides containing dioxin from 1956 to 1967, herbicides that were later banned for their health effects. A military briefing note to the New Brunswick cabinet obtained by CBC News showed that more than a thousand barrels of a now-banned herbicide was sprayed on CFB Gagetown. It listed in part: "Overview of herbicides spray program. 1956: 3,687 acres, 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T1957: 3,879 acres." Then they were legal, now some of them have since been banned. 2,4,5,-T was sprayed frequently to kill dense brush. The New Brunswick documents also showed that substances mistakenly blew onto nearby farms. In 1964 there was a spray application accident.

Increased winds carried the spray to the Upper Gagetown and Sheffield area. The Crown paid approximately $250,000 to several market gardens in the area as reparation for the damage to their crops. Decades later, many residents are wondering if their illnesses are linked to the spraying at Gagetown. Strenuous efforts On June 13, 2005, in the House of Commons, then defence minister Bill Graham was asked about Agent Purple and replied: "We are making strenuous efforts to obtain the appropriate records, work with those who have been exposed, work with anybody in the community who knows anything about this." Spraying in Vietnam CBC News also obtained a draft fact sheet from the Department of National Defence. It says the department does not have a list of people who served at CFB Gagetown who may have been exposed, and it says the number who may have come into contact with the chemical is thought to be minimal. "What upsets me so much is that my government, who I faithfully served for 40 years, has covered this up and lied about it for 40 years. What a shame. What a shame for the troops who have served them so well," Cardinal says.

Van de Jagt says like Agent Orange, the chemical 2,4,5,-T, can cause cancer: "Agent Orange and 2,4,5,-T have been banned because of their known toxic effects and they've actually been off. They've been banned for many years." Civilian exposure After planes took off from the Gagetown airstrip, nearby communities had no idea what chemicals were being sprayed. People say they were kept in the dark and they doubt the chemicals that were sprayed stayed put. Ken Dobbie Ken Dobbie has been sick for more than 30 years. It began with liver problems when he was a young man. The 58-year-old has been sick for more than 30 years. He never understood why until a few years ago. It escalated to cirrhosis, pancreatitis, diabetes and brain atrophy. "I have type II diabetes; I have micro nodular sclerosis of the liver; idiopathic chronic pancreatitis; I'm in constant pain;" Dobbie says.

"One of the questionnaires I remember had said, 'Have you ever worked with a chemical in your past?' That's when it hit me." Dobbie remembered a summer job on the military base near his home in Oromocto, N.B. He was hired to clear brush that had been sprayed with a herbicide. That summer, 1966, the Canadian military sprayed Agent Orange at Gagetown. Dobbie worked that summer with other local teenagers clearing and burning the contaminated brush. He says they had no protective gear. "I know that I was there with several hundred other kids, I know what I did. It was an incredible experience because we were outdoors in the summertime working, and to us, it was a great job, but we didn't know that it was going to be killing us in the years later," Dobbie says. "There's no other reason on this Earth why I would be having about 15 different diseases and ailments that are going to eventually turn into cancer." His family doctor says his symptoms likely point to some kind of chemical exposure. Dr.

Robert West says: "He doesn't have a history of drug use or alcoholism, and it was a relatively acute illness with some changes in liver function on the blood, so that would suggest an immediate exposure to something." Someone should be held accountable Jody Carr is the MLA representing Oromocto and Gagetown. He says there are many civilians like Dobbie who should be compensated. "I think the federal minister has the obligation to extend that compensation to firstly, any civilian that worked at base Gagetown at the time of spraying of Agent Orange. If any of those civilians have an illness as a result of that, they should be compensated as well as the veterans," Carr says. In 2004, Dobbie was hospitalized six times. He tests for liver cancer every three months. Along with cirrhosis, he has pancreatitis, diabetes and atrophy of the frontal lobes of his brain. In 2005, Dobbie called the Defence Department in Ottawa to tell them about his job and see if they had any records. They said they would look into it. Documents obtained by CBC News suggest the department believes no civilians were exposed to Agent Orange on the base.

A draft fact sheet says there is no indication there were any civilians involved in or exposed to the testing. Carr says he has heard from lots of civilians who say they've been affected by the spraying. He says they, too, should be compensated. "To try to determine how many civilians, a particular number, it's very difficult, but the fact is that regardless of the costs, the federal government has the moral and ethical responsibility," Carr says. But for people like Dobbie it's a tremendous challenge to try to prove his illnesses were caused by the spraying. Years afterwards, doctors are often unable to confirm exposure. Dobbie may not have the time to prove it. "I guess the way I can sum it up is it's too soon. I don't deserve to be dying at 57. I don't deserve this and no one who worked there deserves any kind of illnesses they have," Dobbie says. Dobbie is now the president of the Agent Orange Association of Canada, an advocacy group for those affected by the dioxins sprayed. So far, five Gagetown veterans have been awarded military disability pensions because of dioxin-related illnesses.

Persistent dioxins A Canadian expert on Agent Orange says it's likely there is still dioxin in the soil at Gagetown. Dr. Wayne Dwernychuk is an environmental consultant who spent several years testing dioxin levels in the countryside of Vietnam. He's an expert on the rainbow of toxic chemicals used by the U.S. military to kill jungle leaves so they could better see their enemy. He says soil tests in that country show Agent Purple contained about four times the level of dioxin found in Agent Orange. And he says dioxin is likely still sitting in the soil at Gagetown. "If you went back to the areas today where Agent Purple was sprayed and undertook some sampling, there's a high probability that you will find some dioxin, given the analytical techniques of today," Dwernychuk says. That means dioxin may still be leeching into the water system ... and eventually into people's bodies.

"Through the process of biomagnification," he says, "it could eventually end up in humans and develop some form of high levels in livers and fatty tissues." Dwernychuk also says the spraying of the chemical 2,4,5,-T throughout the 1950s and '60s undoubtedly drove up dioxin levels. It's a key ingredient found in both Agent Orange and Agent Purple. It was banned in Canada in 1985. The CBC's government documents refer to environmental assessments at Gagetown in the mid-1980s. They show no evidence of dioxin. But Dwernychuk says new studies are needed because dramatic changes in technology have improved the detection of toxins. The federal government reaction At the time of the Agent Orange testing, the Canadian government said very little about it, even denying the chemical was harmful at one point. But in May 2005, Veterans Affairs acknowledged that the testing at CFB Gagetown exposed Canadian soldiers to a health risk. Then defence minister Bill Graham said those who believe they were affected can come forward and apply for assistance.

Graham has said he wants to hear from any veterans who may have been exposed to chemicals here, but the government did not promise any money to study health problems on the base or in the surrounding communities, nor has it promised to compensate any civilians. On June 14, 2005, then Veterans Affairs Minister Albina Guarnieri said a committee will review disability applications. CBC News has learned 22 of those applications were previously denied. The federal government eventually changed its stance. In August 2005, Ottawa launched an investigation into the use of Agent Orange and Agent Purple in the 1960s at CFB Gagetown. Investigators met with active and retired members of the Canadian military and retired civilian employees who were there during the tests. And on Aug. 10, 2006, the results were in: present-day levels of dioxin are too low to be of any concern. The independent researchers hired by the government found that spraying in remote areas of the base in 1966 and 1967 did not pose a threat to the long-term health of those involved in the program.

These were the first two of several reports examining health impacts of defoliant use at CFB Gagetown. However, retired soldier Grant Payne said this contradicted earlier reports that showed current levels of dioxin were higher than the national guidelines in some areas. And, a scientific peer review raised concerns about the small number of soil samples and water samples. Despite the findings, that same day the Conservative government announced it would still compensate those exposed to Agent Orange. But, it acknowledged the new reports meant fewer people were eligible. Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said it would make a final decision on the compensation program by early 2007. Sources: CBC News Online stories, and the National and CBC Radio World Report, June 13 and 14, 2005. Reporter: Louise Elliott. INDEPTH: AGENT ORANGE CBC News Online | June 14, 2005 From the National, April 23, 2000 Reporter: Ian Hanomansing | Producer: Eric Rankin The defoliant was sprayed over large areas of forest In Vietnam in 1975, South Vietnam fell to the communists, ending a divisive conflict for the United States.

And while the war is long over, the consequences are not; especially the "Grim Legacy" of Agent Orange. The Vietnamese insist the chemical defoliant used by the American military is still causing birth defects and deadly illnesses. The U.S. compensates its own veterans for the effects of Agent Orange, but it has so far refused to help the Vietnamese people. In the spring of 2000, the CBC's Ian Hanomansing travelled to Vietnam for a firsthand look at the problem and the efforts of a Canadian scientific team to find some answers. Along a narrow trail lined by rice paddies and simple homes, Dr. Troung Cong Binh is taking us and a group of medical students on a house call. But there's no sense of urgency to this visit, no hope of curing his patient; just sadness and frustration about the plight of the family that lives here. This boy, Phan Tuan Anh, looks 10, but he's 16-years-old and he's dying. It is a cruel death, his muscles wasting away. Crueller still, because his parents have already watched one son die of the mysterious disease.

And another, a 14-year-old, has begun suffering the same symptoms. "The parents know the progression of the disease. The younger one will get worse, like his brother, " Dr. Binh says. Their mother says she has no idea why three of her eight children have been stricken with the illness. But Dr. Binh says he has little doubt the culprit is Agent Orange. "I think that Agent Orange is one of the main causes. These diseases are the effects of the Agent Orange because the rate of disease is very high. We find some families have a large number of members who have got the same disease," Dr. Binh says. Agent Orange got its name from the orange bands on its drums. It was a potent blend of two herbicides and was sprayed around U.S. military bases in Vietnam to keep perimeters clear. But that was just a small part of its use. For 10 years beginning in 1961, the U.S. Forces drenched Vietnam with the defoliant, using more than 12 million gallons to strip the enemy of its cover and its food, including rice. The problem is that the U.S.

government didn't realize until the late 1960's that the compound could be lethal to more than just vegetation. It was contaminated by dioxin -- the most toxic chemical made by man. So today there are those who say because of Agent Orange, the Vietnam war is still claiming victims. The Vietnamese government has made sure its citizens are well-versed in the evils of Agent Orange. A display at a museum in Ho Chi Minh City leaves no doubt that the U.S. spray has caused deformities and deaths. A TV documentary, never before seen outside of Vietnam, hammers home that message with graphic pictures of what the government says are victims of spraying. Is this science or propaganda? To what extent might these cases be the result of extreme malnutrition and chronic disease in parts of Vietnam? Dr. Nuygen Thi Ngoc Phuong is head of Ho Chi Minh city's biggest maternity hospital. She has been here for more than 30 years and has studied the impact of Agent Orange. She is certain it's still causing birth defects. She says more than two-thirds of the patients are affected by Agent Orange. Dr.

Phuong says statistics show an unmistakable pattern: the rate of child deformities among mothers who were exposed to Agent Orange is much higher than among mothers living close by who were not exposed to the defoliant. "There is a linkage between dioxin exposure and birth defects � the increased rate of birth defects in my hospital in South Vietnam," she says. No one questions that dioxin can be deadly, and that there is an alarming number of birth defects in this region. The problem, until now though, has been a lack of independently verifiable scientific evidence. That is, until a team of Canadian scientists and doctors entered the picture. In an office in West Vancouver, scientists from a private research company, Hatfield Consultants, discuss their next trip to Vietnam. One area that they have studied extensively, near the Ho Chi Minh Trail in west-central Viet Nam, is the remote Aluoi Valley. Funded by various Canadian government agencies, the scientists analyze the soil, sources of food, including fish in local ponds, as well as blood and breast milk from people who live in the valley.

In a report released in April 2000, they've found that dioxin contamination from Agent Orange is not just an historical fact, but a continuing problem. It's in the food chain and showing up in people born long after the spraying ended. The Canadian scientists have also confirmed dioxin levels from Agent Orange in this area, the site of a former U.S. military base, are far above what's considered safe in Canada and that the 20 families who live here should be relocated. But on what many consider to be the key question: is dioxin contamination the cause of the high rate of birth defects in Vietnam, the study provides no answer. David Levy has been involved in the project since the beginning six years ago. "There are higher percentages of birth defects in people living in close proximity to the contaminated site," Levy says. "What we don't know at the present time is to what extent other factors could be contributing to this. The maternal nutrition has a very big influence on the subsequent health of the baby that's born. These people are extremely poor, their nutrition is -- is not very good.

And so we need to rule out some of these alternative explanations for the high birth defects." In Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, officials have been following the Hadfield study closely. We brought a summary of the report here and showed it to Dr. Le Cao Dai, Vietnam's top expert on Agent Orange. Dr. Dai says he's confident that the Canadians will eventually conclude there is a link between birth defects and Agent Orange. But he says in the meantime, Vietnam needs help urgently. "The first priority is to clean up the area. And continue to look at other problems. For example, malformation and so on," Dai says. So the Americans should be paying for the cleanup? "I do believe that the American government should do something," Dai says. In fact the U.S. government is doing something, but for its own vets, not the Vietnamese -- providing compensation for some illnesses and one birth defect which may be related to Agent Orange.

Washington says while there isn't conclusive data on the impact of exposure in Vietnam to the defoliant, dioxins are known to cause certain diseases, including: lung and throat cancer, lymphoma and prostate cancer, as well as the birth defect spina bifida in children of people exposed; these are some of the same maladies the Vietnamese have identified. So does that U.S. policy create at least a moral obligation on the country to help the Vietnamese, some of whom were allies during the war? A State Department spokesman would only provide us with this statement: "the U.S. Government believes the Agent Orange issue should be addressed on a scientific basis and has told the Vietnamese government that we are prepared to conduct joint research in Vietnam on the effects of dioxins in Agent Orange and other herbicides and are awaiting a response to the offer." Back in the countryside, the debate over Agent Orange matters little to the Phan family as they watch another son slowly die. To the Vietnamese at least, he will be the latest casualty in a war that ended years ago.

INDEPTH: AGENT ORANGE CBC News Online | June 14, 2005 The chemical colours The names for the chemical defoliants come from the Vietnam War where the name signified the identifying bands that were used on the 55-gallon drums that contained the products. Herbicides used in Vietnam, as well as the best-known Agent Orange, were Agent White, Agent Blue, Agent Purple, Agent Pink and Agent Green. What are the ingredients? 2,4,-D is a white crystalline irritant compound used as a defoliant and weed killer called also 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; (Chemical formula C8H6Cl2O3). 2,4,5,-T an irritant compound used especially as an herbicide and defoliant called also trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. (Chemical formula C8H5Cl3O3). Picloram is a defoliant and systemic herbicide designed to break down very slowly in the soil (Chemical formula C6H3Cl3N2O2). PURPLE: A formulation of 2,4,-D and 2,4,5,-T.

GREEN: Used 2,4,5-T. ORANGE: A formulation of 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T. WHITE: A formulation of Picloram and 2,4,-D. BLUE: Contained cacodylic acid. ORANGE II: A formulation of 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T used in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 (also sometimes referred to as "Super Orange"). DINOXOL: A formulation of 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T. Small quantities were tested in Vietnam between 1962 and 1964. TRINOXOL: Contained 2,4,5-T. Small quantities tested in Vietnam 1962-1964. Where were the herbicides used? U.S. veterans groups have compiled lists of areas where they believe the U.S. and allied military forces used chemical herbicides and defoliants. Some of the information has come from the U.S. Department of Defence and some of it from the veterans' own research. Areas confirmed by the U.S.

Department of Defence, in which defoliants were used (in addition to Vietnam): The Korean demilitarized zone in 1968 and 1969 (extensive spraying). Fort Drum, N.Y. in 1959 (testing). Areas U.S. veterans say were sprayed: 1. Guam from 1955 through 1960s (spraying). 2. Johnston Atoll (1970s was used for AO storage). 3. Panama Canal Zone from 1960s to early 1970s (spraying). 4. Elgin AFB (Agents Orange and Blue) on firing range and simulated Viet Cong Village. 5. Wright-Patterson AFB (Ohio) and Kelly AFB (Texas). In May 2003, a Democratic congressman, Lane Evans, asked U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to investigate possible spraying in: Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Md. Apalachicola National Forest, Sophoppy, Fla. Avon Air Force Base, Fla. Beaumont, Texas Bushnell Army Air Field, Fla. Camp Detrick, Md.

Dar and Prek Clong, Cambodia Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Fort Gordon, Ga. Operation PACER HO (Disposal at sea) What are the effects of chemical defoliants? Dr. Joel Michalek during a press briefing on the Ranch Hand Study in the Pentagon on March 29, 2000. Michalek is the U.S. Air Force health study senior investigator for the study. (Courtesy: U.S. Dept. of Defense/Helene C. Stikkel) On March 29, 2000, the United States Department of Defence released the results of a study by the U.S. air force called the Ranch Hand Study. That study was named for the original Agent Orange spraying program, also called Operation Ranch Hand. In 1982, the U.S. air force began studying Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. In 1997, the U.S. air force conducted physical examinations of 2,300 Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

The executive summary of the study said that the result showed "the strongest evidence to date that herbicide exposure is associated with diabetes, and some of its known complications." But the study said there was "no consistent evidence that Agent Orange is related to cancer." The 2000 results confirmed an earlier 1992 study that also showed that Agent Orange is associated with adult-onset diabetes. "The 1997 results suggest that as dioxin levels increase, not only are the presence and severity of adult-onset diabetes increased, but the time to onset of disease is also decreased. A 47 per cent increase in diabetes was seen in those with the highest levels of dioxin. This is particularly strong evidence, since dioxin is the component of Agent Orange linked to many health effects in laboratory animals," the air force said. The study said that "cardiovascular disease findings were mixed." The Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, studied in 1997, showed an overall 26 per cent increase in heart disease, but the air force study added "disease risk was not increased in Ranch Hands with high dioxin levels.

However, within the Ranch Hand group, two specific measures of heart disease, the presence of high blood pressure and the percentage of veterans with evidence of prior heart attacks indicated by electrocardiogram, did tend to increase with dioxin levels." The study said the relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular disease was statistical and noted that "the biological processes relating herbicide exposure with diabetes or cardiovascular disease have not been described" by scientists or doctors. As for cancer, the air force doctors said in their report: "At the end of 15 years of follow-up, the Ranch Hand Study has found no consistent evidence that dioxin exposure is related to cancer." While overall, the veterans exposed to Agent Orange had a six per cent increase in the risk of cancer compared to other Vietnam veterans, the study also found that "enlisted ground crew, the subgroup with the highest dioxin levels and presumably the greatest herbicide exposure, exhibited a 22 per cent decreased risk of cancer." The study also found that veterans exposed to Agent Orange showed "a loss of sensation in the feet, which increased with dioxin levels." Blood tests regarding liver function and lipids were slightly elevated, and did tend to increase with dioxin level of the patient.

However, these tests may be elevated for many reasons, are not a disease by themselves, and cannot be explained entirely by any other finding in the study. There were two limitations to the study. Groups such as Americans veterans or Vietnamese civilians were exposed in different ways and to different levels of herbicide, so the study could not show what effect herbicides or dioxin could have at levels for people outside the Ranch Hand Study group, or from other sources such as contaminated food. It warned that groups with higher exposures may well have effects not seen in the study. The relatively small size of the study made it difficult to detect increases in rare diseases, so small increases of these diseases could have been missed. Agent Orange, Operation Ranch Hand : Vietnam War Herbicides July 28, 1993 WASHINGTON - Evidence exists linking three cancers and two other health problems with chemicals used in herbicides in the Vietnam War, a committee of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has concluded. Those diseases are soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Hodgkin's disease, as well as skin diseases chloracne and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT).

The committee also concluded that new studies piecing together different types of information could help determine how much the risk of disease is increased in veterans who were exposed to such herbicides as Agent Orange. The committee's report specifically focuses on Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam, some of which contained dioxin, and unintended byproduct of the manufacturing process. "Over the years, extreme views have evolved on the issue," said Harold Fallon, IOM committee chair and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. "On one extreme is the view that Agent Orange has not led to health problems. Our committee has determined through an extensive review of the scientific literature that indeed, there does appear to be a link between exposure to herbicides and certain diseases." Most of the evidence the committee reviewed about adverse health effects came from studies of people who were exposed as a result of their jobs or from industrial accidents. These types of exposures often were at high levels and for long periods of time. Getting a clear picture of the health risks for Vietnam veterans is not so straightforward, the committee said, because the levels of exposure were extremely wide ranging.

Indeed, while most veterans probably had lower exposure levels, some may have experienced levels as high as that of occupational or agricultural exposures. What is uncertain is how many veterans may have been exposed to those higher levels and who those individuals are. "We simply do not know the degree of risk for Vietnam veterans," said committee vice chair David Tollerud, director of occupational and environmental medicine, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. "We do feel, however, that enough information exists to allow studies to be done that would lead to a better understanding of the risk that veterans face for contracting diseases related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam." ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS The committee examined more than 230 epidemiological studies in detail on a range of health problems and their possible association with herbicides. It found sufficient evidence of a statistical association between exposure to herbicides or dioxin and soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Hodgkin's disease. The committee also found sufficient evidence of an association between herbicides or dioxin and chloracne and PCT. Chloracne is a specific acne-like skin disorder; PCT is a liver disorder characterized by thinning and blistering of the skin.

The category of sufficient evidence represented the strongest link the committee made between adverse health effects and exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange or dioxin. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs currently compensates Vietnam veterans for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and chloracne. The link between herbicides or dioxin and other adverse health effects the committee studied fell into three remaining categories: > Limited or Suggestive Evidence. The committee found limited or suggestive evidence of an association between exposure to herbicides of the kind used in Vietnam and three other cancers: respiratory cancers, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma. > Inadequate Evidence. The scientific data for most cancers and other diseases, such as adverse neurological and reproductive effects, were inadequate or insufficient to determine whether an association exists, the report says (see attached list). > No Association. For a small group of cancers, the committee found that a sufficient number and variety of well-designed studies exist to conclude that there is limited or suggestive evidence of no association between these cancers and the herbicides or dioxin. This group includes skin cancer, gastrointestinal tumors (colon, rectal, stomach, and pancreatic), bladder cancer, and brain tumors.

NEW MEASURES OF EXPOSURE NEEDED In reviewing the literature, the committee found that exposure assessment was the weakest element in most epidemiological studies of veterans. While some studies show a link between adverse health effects and herbicides or dioxin, there are few data indicating which individuals may have received high exposures during service in Vietnam. The evidence about exposure during the war suggests that Vietnam veterans as a group had substantially lower exposure to herbicides and dioxins than the subjects in many occupational studies, the committee said. Veterans who were participants in Operation Ranch Hand -- the extensive spraying of some 19 million gallons of herbicide over 3.6 million acres of South Vietnam from airplanes -- are an exception to this pattern, however, because of their direct involvement in the spraying missions. But the committee also said that, among the approximately 3 million Vietnam veterans, there may be some former ground troops not directly involved in the spraying who were exposed to herbicides at levels associated with adverse health effects. The committee emphasized that it may be possible to develop better exposure measures for Vietnam veterans by relying on "less formal" sources of historical information than have been used in the past.

Previous studies have relied primarily on the carefully recorded information on aerial spraying in Operation Ranch Hand and on blood tests for dioxin, but these measures may not reflect the full range of exposures of Vietnam veterans to herbicides. The committee urged that a non-government organization be commissioned to develop and test new methods of evaluating herbicide exposure in Vietnam veterans. These new methods would draw on historical reconstructions and include information on the spraying that occurred around base camps and other areas which could have led to higher human exposures, the committee said. Important information could be gained from historical records of ground and perimeter spraying, herbicide shipments to various military bases, and knowledge of the type of terrain and foliage typical of the locations sprayed and the military mission of the troops located there. These new methods of measuring exposure should be evaluated by an independent, non-government scientific panel. If they prove to be valid, a new series of epidemiological studies of veterans should be undertaken to assess the degree to which veterans may be at risk of cancer and other disease as a result of exposure, the committee said. It also urged continued follow-up of the Ranch Hand veterans and its comparison group, and recommended that members of the Army Chemical Corps also be studied for adverse health effects from exposure.

Studies should be done by an independent agency, noting that such an independent body could do much to 'satisfy the public's concern about impartiality and scientific credibility." In addition, the committee recommended that -- for the purpose of facilitating the collection of data for new studies -- the U.S. Department of Defense identify in its computerized index of military service records which veterans served in Vietnam. Currently, this index does not indicate whether an individual served in the Vietnam War. "Lack of an indicator of Vietnam service complicates every epidemiologic study of veterans . . . and leads to methodologic inconsistencies." HERBICIDE USE IN VIETNAM Between 1962 and 1971, U.S. military forces sprayed millions of gallons of herbicides over South Vietnam. Agent Orange accounted for much of the total sprayed. After a scientific report in 1969 concluded that one of the primary chemicals used in Agent Orange could cause birth defects in laboratory animals, use of the herbicide was suspended. All U.S.-authorized herbicide use in Vietnam was halted in 1971.

As the decade wore on, concern about possible long-term health consequences of Agent Orange and other herbicides heightened, fueled in part by reports from Vietnam veterans that they had developed cancer or fathered handicapped children. Some veterans attributed these health problems to wartime exposure to herbicides. Since then, thousands of scientific studies have been conducted. Faced with lingering uncertainty, Congress asked the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine to conduct a comprehensive review of available scientific information regarding the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam. The report is the product of the IOM committee's work, begun in 1992. The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The Institute of Medicine is a private, non-profit organization that provides health policy advice under a congressional charter granted to the National Academy of Sciences. TABLE 1-1 Summary of Findings in Occupational, Environmental, and Veterans Studies Regarding the Association Between Specific Health Problems and Exposure to Herbicides Sufficient Evidence of an Association Evidence is sufficient to conclude that there is a positive association. That is, a positive association has been observed between herbicides and the outcome in studies in which chance, bias, and confounding could be ruled out with reasonable confidence.

For example, if several small studies that are free from bias and confounding show an association that is consistent in magnitude and direction, there may be sufficient evidence for an association. There is sufficient evidence of an association between exposure to herbicides and the following health outcomes: Soft tissue sarcoma Agent Orange Record In Cambodia/Laos A war against an implacable enemy. One who lives among the population. And who hides in the terrain. Four decades before our involvement in Afghanistan, America had encountered a similar foe in the jungles of Vietnam. It desperately needed some way of countering the enemy’s ability to hide from its guns and bombs while living off the land. Why Agent Orange?

From 1961 to 1971 (as shown in the Chicago Tribune chart, left), the US government sprayed some 20 million gallons of h erbicides and defoliants over vast areas of South Vietnam (and to a lesser extent in Laos, Cambodia, and even, marginally, North Vietnam), in “Operation Trail Dust.” Some 95% of the herbicides were sprayed by the US Air Force flying C-123s as part of “Operation Ranch Hand.” Fitted with specially developed spray tanks with a capacity of 1000 gallons of herbicide, the planes typically sprayed a 14 kilometer (8.5 mile) swath of land in about 4 ½ minutes. The remaining 5% were sprayed by backpacks, hand, helicopters and trucks around US military installations by the US Army Chemical Corps and allied forces. The herbicides sprayed were up to 50 times the concentration that would have been used for normal agricultural use. The most common herbicide used was Herbicide Orange, more commonly referred to as “Agent Orange,” a fifty-fifty mixture of the two herbicides 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T.

The other most common color-coded chemicals used were Agent Blue , primarily used against food crops, and Agent White . What was the rationale for the program? When President Kennedy came into office in January 1961 the question of what to do in Vietnam was already brewing. By May of 1961 the US objectives in Vietnam were to "prevent communist domination of South Vietnam; to create a viable and increasingly democratic society, and to initiate, on an accelerated basis, a series of mutually supporting actions of a military, political, economic, psychological, and covert character to achieve this objective." The US helped South Vietnam to develop the Combat Development and Test Center in order to identify which military tactics and weapons could be used against the guerilla struggle they were facing. Among the prime competitive advantages of the enemy was their ability to hide in the forest cover while living off the land, so a herbicide powerful enough to deny the North Vietnam Army (NVA) and the anti-government forces in the South (the National Liberation Front or Viet Cong) these assets became very appealing.

By July 1961 the idea of using herbicides to better control the border areas had developed to the point of coordinating a defoliation test and the necessary herbicides (Dinoxol) were shipped to South Vietnam. The first testing of the herbicides occurred on August 10, 1961 in Kontom province. Two weeks later a second test run took place along highway 13 north of Saigon. The defoliation program started out small and nearly ended before it began as the Department of Defense, the State Department and the government of South Vietnam debated its efficacy.

However, by November 1961 President Kennedy agreed with his advisors that the US should 'participate in a selective and carefully controlled joint program of defoliant operations in Vietnam starting with the clearance of key routes and proceed thereafter to food denial only if the most careful basis of resettlement and alternative food supply has been created." The first official Operation Ranch Hand mission took place on January 13, 1962 along highway 15 using C-123 aircraft As the American involvement in Vietnam escalated so did the use of herbicides, Operation Ranch Hand was expanded to include parts of southern and eastern Laos in December 1965. The herbicide program reached its peak in 1967 when over a million and a half acres were sprayed. While much of the earlier hesitancy to conduct the herbicide program revolved around concerns of its efficacy, there were also concerns in Washington about how the use of chemical herbicides would be perceived in the world community and how the North Vietnamese government would use the herbicide program as a propaganda tool. None the less, Secretary of State Dean Rusk assured President Kennedy that the use of herbicides was an acceptable war tactic and did not violate international law.

The herbicides were seen by the US government as merely a defoliant akin to those in US domestic use, even if many times the original strength. Unlike mustard gas, Agent Orange and the other herbicides were targeted against trees and crops, not humans. The environmental movement had not yet begun; Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring had only been published in 1962 (helping to get the insecticide DDT banned in 1972); and the first Earth Day was years away. It was natural, in the context of the early 1960s, that the use of almost any herbicide would be viewed as fair game in war. Especially as early on in the program it is not likley that the US government knew that dioxin was contaminanting the herbicides that contained 2,4,5-T. However, as Operation Ranch Hand expanded it was not only the enemy that was inconvenienced. The Vietnamese peasants whose hearts and minds the US was trying to win tended to take offense at the destruction of their crops and the laying waste of the countryside, as a RAND study would find in 1967.

“If we think they’re winning, you can imagine what they think.” – President Lyndon Johnson, in a telephone conversation with Senator Mike Mansfield, 1965. The Apparent End While there was opposition to the herbicide program from the very beginning it did not grow in strength until 1967 when the Federation of American Scientists submitted a petition to the White House with more than 5000 signatures of renowned scientists, including 17 Nobel laureates and 129 members of the National Academy of Sciences to end the herbicide program. Concerns about the ecological impacts of the herbicides in Vietnam were also raised by the American scientific community, the Association of American Association for the Advancement of Science called for field investigations in Vietnam. In 1969, it became widely known that the 2,4,5-T component of Agent Orange was contaminated with dioxin, a toxic chemical (chemical structure illustrated above) found to cause adverse health effects and birth outcomes in laboratory studies . In April 1970, the US government restricted use of 2,4,5-T, and therefore Agent Orange, in both Vietnam and the US.

The last official spray run by the US Air Force took place on January 7, 1971. South Vietnamese forces continued to spray the remaining stocks of Agent Blue and White throughout 1971 and 1972. In September 1971, the order came to gather all the remaining stocks of Agent Orange, including those under the control of the Armed Forces of South Vietnam. In an operation code-named "Pacer IVY," the remaining barrels of Agent Orange were re-barreled at Da Nang, Bien Hoa and Tuy Hoa airbases and shipped to Johnston’s Island in the South Pacific. Stocks of Agent Orange in the US were shipped and stored at the Seabees base in Gulfport, Mississippi . Some 8.6 million liters of Agent Orange were destroyed by an incinerator ship in September 1977, in “Operation Pacer Ho.” While "Operation Ranch Hand" became a footnote in most history books about the war in Vietnam, the on-going impacts of the dioxin that contaminatined Agent Orange and some of the other herbicides used during the war continue to this day. Inside the barrels: Agent Orange. Inside the Agent Orange: Dioxin.

(Dioxin chemical structure shown left.) 10 things every Veteran should know about Agent Orange - VAntage Point VAntage Point Official Blog of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 10 things every Veteran should know about Agent Orange Learn the basics of VA's Agent Orange benefits and care Posted in Health , Top Stories by Dr. Ralph L. Erickson 4k views 1. Agent Orange was a herbicide and defoliant used in Vietnam Agent Orange was a blend of tactical herbicides the U.S. military sprayed from 1962 to 1971 during the Vietnam War to remove the leaves of trees and other dense tropical foliage that provided enemy cover. The U.S. Department of Defense developed tactical herbicides specifically to be used in “combat operations.” They were not commercial grade herbicides purchased from chemical companies and sent to Vietnam. More than 19 million gallons of various “rainbow” herbicide combinations were sprayed, but Agent Orange was the combination the U.S. military used most often. The name “Agent Orange” came from the orange identifying stripe used on the 55-gallon drums in which it was stored.

Heavily sprayed areas included forests near the demarcation zone, forests at the junction of the borders of Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam, and mangroves on the southernmost peninsula of Vietnam and along shipping channels southeast of Saigon. 2. Any Veteran who served anywhere in Vietnam during the war is presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. For the purposes of VA compensation benefits, Veterans who served anywhere in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides, as specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991 . These Veterans do not need to show that they were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides in order to get disability compensation for diseases related to Agent Orange exposure . Service in Vietnam means service on land in Vietnam or on the inland waterways (“brown water” Veterans) of Vietnam. 3. VA has linked several diseases and health conditions to Agent Orange exposure. VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as presumptive diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for compensation benefits.

Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer) Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma) A specific group of malignant of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues 4. Veterans who want to be considered for disability compensation must file a claim. Veterans who want to be considered for disability compensation for health problems related to Agent Orange exposure must file a claim . During the claims process, VA will check military records to confirm exposure to Agent Orange or qualifying military service. If necessary, VA will set up a separate exam for compensation. 5. VA offers health care benefits for Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides during military service. Veterans who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, are eligible to enroll in VA health care. Visit VA’s Health Benefits Explorer to check your eligibility and learn how to apply. 6.

Participating in an Agent Orange Registry health exam helps you, other Veterans and VA. VA’s Agent Orange Registry health exam alerts Veterans to possible long-term health problems that may be related to Agent Orange exposure during their military service. The registry data helps VA understand and respond to these health problems more effectively. The exam is free to eligible Veterans and enrollment in VA health care is not necessary. Although the findings of your exam may be used to inform your subsequent care, they may not be used when applying for compensation as a separate exam is required. Contact your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator about getting an Agent Orange Registry health exam. 7. VA recognizes and offers support for the children of Veterans affected by Agent Orange who have birth defects. VA has recognized that certain birth defects among Veterans’ children are associated with Veterans’ qualifying service in Vietnam or Korea. Spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta) , a defect in the developing fetus that results in incomplete closing of the spine, is associated with Veterans’ exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during qualifying service in Vietnam or Korea. Birth defects in children of women Veterans are associated with their military service in Vietnam but are not related to herbicide exposure.

The affected child must have been conceived after the Veteran entered Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone during the qualifying service period. Learn more about benefits for Veterans’ children with birth defects. 8. Vietnam Veterans are not the only Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange. Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam were used, tested or stored elsewhere, including some military bases in the United States. Other locations/scenarios in which Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange may include: 1000+ images about Agent Orange / Vietnam on Pinterest | Blood pressure, Air force and Vietnam A local Vietnam veteran wants others who served in the war to know about the Agent Orange Registry. The Department of Veterans Affairs screens for exposure to agent orange. Many vets don't show symptons until later in life. See More

Question: What was the name of the dioxin-containing defoliant used during the Vietnam war by the USA army?
Answer: Agent Orange